Anh Pham spoke first. She is one of the 23 anti-war activists recently subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury in a sweeping investigation of “material support to foreign terrorist organizations.” The anti-war movement considers this witch hunt baseless and reminiscent of McCarthyism. These activists face potentially long jail sentences because of their ideas, their speech and their anti-war and international solidarity activism. She gave the background information on the case and talked about the organizing going on to stop the repression.

Pham is a Vietnamese immigrant. She talked about the experience of many immigrants who come to the U.S., saying, “My family and I moved here from Vietnam in 1975. Very typical immigrant story – we came over here because there was a war in Vietnam, as people know. My family came over here to escape the war. I think that’s a very typical story of many immigrants.” Her life experience brought her to see the importance of struggling against U.S. wars, as well as the importance of working for the rights of immigrants who face discrimination and inequality here in the U.S.

Francisco Segovia then spoke about the repression he lived under in El Salvador during the civil war there, before he came to the U.S. as an immigrant. He recounted personal experiences living under the U.S.-backed military dictatorship saying, “We always had that fear that we were being investigated and knowing that eventually something was going to happen to us.” Segovia explained how the repression there functioned – the National Guard would arrest someone and threaten them or torture them until they named names of others that the National Guard would then go after, creating a never-ending chain of repression.

He talked about the importance of international solidarity in building relationships between the people of the U.S. and El Salvador to end government repression there. He said, “If it wasn’t for those groups and institutions in solidarity with El Salvador we wouldn’t be able to explain the reality of our country and also the reality of United States involvement and how citizens of this part of the world could intervene to change those policies that were killing people in El Salvador. It was key to us that there were people from here in the U.S. coming to our country and educating people here about our struggle. Again, when you’re trying to change government policies, you become at risk because there are so many political and economic interests to keep things the way they are.”

Segovia ended his talk by saying, “At one time people from the United States were in solidarity with El Salvador, and still many people are, and I think today is my time to be in solidarity with everyone here who is looking for a better society.”

Veronica Mendez, an organizer with the Center for Workers United in Struggle (CTUL), spoke about her organization’s experiences with repression against Latino immigrant workers trying to organize for better wages and working conditions. She talked about the recent firing of a leader in their retail cleaning campaign and the outpouring of solidarity to protest that firing of a key organizer.

Mendez said, “The reason I came here is to make clear that repression happens all around us in so many different forms and it’s so crucial that all of us stand in solidarity because what hurts one of us will hurt the rest of us.” She continued, “We’re standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are currently facing this repression because workers know, and all of us know, if they can come for you they can come for us next.”

Manuel Barrera is a professor at Metro State University with a long history of activism in the Chicano liberation movement. His involvement in the Chicano movement started with the struggle against police repression against the Chicano moratorium anti-war protest in East Los Angeles in 1970, at which the police unleashed violence on protesters and in the process they killed journalist Ruben Salazar. Barrera has been involved in many anti-repression struggles since then.

Barrera strongly praised the 23 subpoenaed anti-war activists for their decision not to testify before the grand jury, giving his view that their stand takes great courage and carries personal risk, but that it’s the only principled option for activists. Barrera spoke of the repression against all movements fighting for the basic rights of workers and oppressed people. He talked about the history of repression against the Chicano liberation movement, from the repression against the Chicano Moratorium in 1970 to the government effort to destroy the La Raza Unida Party (an independent Chicano political party) in Texas.

Barrera spoke about the need to stand up for the right to disagree with the government’s wars (in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere) and the necessity to defend activists that come under attack for doing so. He said that those in power will do anything, including using extreme repression, to stop people from expressing themselves in a way that challenges their interests.

He emphasized that the struggle against repression underlies all other political struggles, saying, “This struggle against repression is really a powerful demand, and a very attractive one. It's associated with the struggle for union rights, and it is associated with the struggle against repression in El Salvador or Honduras, or the right for workers to organize at Jimmy Johns or Chipotle or Target. It’s also totally associated with the idea that a group of anti-war activists have the right to express their point of view and not be prosecuted simply for having ideas.”

Video from the April 7 panel: Latino & immigrant leaders speak out on solidarity & repression:

theuptake on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

#MinneapolisMN #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoLatino #September24FBIRaids #AnhPham #CenterForWorkersUnitedInStruggleCTUL #ChicanoLiberation #FranciscoSegovia #VeronicaMendez #ManuelBarrera

Minneapolis, MN – Chanting, “From Minnesota to Palestine, solidarity is not a crime,” about 250 demonstrators gathered at the Federal Building here, Jan. 25, to protest FBI and Grand Jury repression that is being directed against anti-war and Palestine solidarity activists. Protesters were forced to jostle for standing and picketing room between high banks of ice and snow on the sidewalks and plaza.

Nine Chicago activists who work in solidarity with Palestine received subpoenas to appear in front of the Grand Jury headed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald on Jan. 25. Responding to this attack, the Committee to Stop FBI repression organized a national day of action to push back.

This latest round of subpoenas comes on the heels of Sept. 24 raids on anti-war, labor and international solidarity activists, in the course of which 14 were handed subpoenas to the grand jury, bringing the total number of subpoenas to 23 so far.

Speaking to the Minneapolis protest, Jess Sundin of the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression and the Anti-War Committee said, “It is people of conscience who are being targeted by this grand jury witch hunt. Today, we stand with the nine Chicago activists who are choosing not to testify. Six of them are Palestinians and all of them are Palestine solidarity activists. Their decision does not come easily and we don’t know yet what consequences we’ll all face.”

Sundin also condemned the legal framework that is being used to attack the activists, stating, “We will not do anything to help with the prosecution of fellow activists for violations of an unjust law – the law banning what they call ‘material support to foreign terrorist organizations.’

This law criminalizes simple acts of solidarity that should be protected by our constitutional rights to freedom of association, speech, travel and dissent. These freedoms are also protected under international law. “

Sundin continued, “What activities are we talking about? Demanding freedom for political prisoners who are held under inhumane conditions. Hosting speakers from unions and other people’s organizations in Palestine, Colombia or elsewhere. Traveling on solidarity delegations to witness the effects of U.S. foreign policy and bring back stories of resistance. And yes, sometimes, making small contributions to the places hardest hit by U.S. policies – whether it’s taking medicines to Iraq or sending token contributions to the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, which has hosted solidarity delegations, while doing the important work of running daycare centers, providing job training and other support to women refugees, and working for equality for Palestinian women.”

Near the end of the event, a protest organizer Cherrene Horazuk called the nine Minnesotans who received subpoenas to the front of the rally. Stating that the nine constituted an “honor roll for the progressive movement,” Horazuk said that every effort would be made to keep the anti-war and international soldiery activists out of jail.

#MinneapolisMN #JessSundin #FBI #September24FBIRaids #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #grandJury #AnhPham

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 protesters came together outside U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's office here, Dec. 2, in response to news that three Twin Cities anti-war and social justice activists will be getting new orders to appear before a federal Grand Jury in Chicago, Illinois. The orders to appear carry the possibility of the activists facing jail time for contempt if they refuse to participate in the politically-motivated Grand Jury proceedings. Those Grand Jury proceedings could put them and their political allies throughout the United States and in other countries at risk of further governmental harassment and violence.

This protest is one of many happening this week, which the Committee to Stop FBI Repression has designated as a week of action in solidarity with the targeted social justice activists.

Speaking to the crowd, Deb Konechne of the Minnesota Committee Against FBI Repression reported on a meeting held with Klobuchar’s staff before the protest: “We went to Senator Klobuchar’s office to demand that she pressure President Obama and U.S. Attorney General Holder to stop the witch hunt against anti-war activists and they are refusing to do anything. We are going to turn up the heat.”

The three activists who will be receiving new orders to appear before the grand jury in Chicago are Sarah Martin, a member of Women Against Military Madness, Tracy Molm, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society and Anh Pham, an anti-war and immigrants’ rights activist.

Those three are among 14 people who received subpoenas in September during FBI raids on homes and offices in several cities, mostly in the Midwest.

All those who received subpoenas in September stated that they would plead the Fifth Amendment and refuse to testify. The original subpoenas were put on hold after the activists refused to cooperate with the witch hunt, but the federal attorney running the investigation is now saying that Martin, Molm and Pham will have to appear in front of the grand jury. The FBI claimed the raids and subpoenas are part of an investigation into groups allegedly providing “material support to terrorists.”

“The use of these subpoenas represents a new stage of the FBI campaign of interference and harassment against the anti-war movement. This investigation is a direct threat against civil liberties and can only take away our right to speak out against U.S. wars and interventions around the world,” said Steff Yorek.

Mick Kelly noted, “The FBI and Grand Jury investigation of anti-war activists is a major threat to anyone who opposes the policies of the U.S. government.”

#MinneapolisMN #FBI #SenatorKlobuchar #September24FBIRaids #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #grandJury #AnhPham #SarahMartin #TracyMolm

Activists in cities across the U.S. are planning for events and protests during the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 3 to stop the Grand Jury witch hunt against anti-war and international solidarity organizers.

Events will take place in Chicago, Illinois; Mankato, Minnesota; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York, New York; San Jose, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dallas, Texas and other cities.

A statement from the Committee to Stop FBI repression says, “We are calling for a week of action to stop the FBI and Grand Jury repression for the week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 3. We are urging activists to focus on U.S. Congress people, demanding that they take action to stop the Grand Jury. Go to their congressional offices, or if that is not practical, to your Federal Building.”

The statement continues, “Three activists from the Twin Cities – Tracy Molm, Sarah Martin and Anh Pham – are being called back before the Grand Jury in Chicago and we need to build a movement to defend these activists and the others who have been targeted by the FBI.”

On Sept. 24 the FBI raided the homes of activists connected with the Palestine Solidarity Group, Students for a Democratic Society, the Twin-Cities Anti-War Committee, the Colombia Action Network, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (a Colombian political prisoner) and other organizations.

Subpoenas to appear in front of a Chicago-based grand jury were served on anti-war organizers in Minneapolis, Chicago and Michigan. Everyone who received a grand jury exercised their Fifth Amendment rights and did not appear on the dates they were scheduled for in October. Observers say it is likely that the government will try to put Tracy Molm, Sarah Martin and Anh Pham in jail if they do not testify against their fellow organizers and friends.

#UnitedStates #FBI #September24FBIRaids #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #grandJury #AnhPham #SarahMartin #TracyMolm

Minneapolis, MN – About 40 people gathered at the Federal Building here, Nov. 18 for a press conference and picket in response to moves by Illinois U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to bring three Twin Cites anti-war and international solidarity activists – Tracy Molm, Anh Pham and Sarah Martin – before a grand jury.

During and after the Sept. 24 FBI raids, subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury were handed to 14 activists in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan. All of them then submitted legal documents invoking their Fifth Amendment rights and did not appear before the Grand Jury.

Now the three of the 14 are being told that they will have to appear in front of the Grand Jury.

Speaking at the press conference, Tracy Molm, a union organizer for AFSCME Local 3800 and anti-war activist said, “I will continue to speak out against war and injustice. I will not be intimidated by FBI raids or the threat posed by the grand jury.”

Marie Braun of Women Against Military Madness and the Twin Cities Peace Campaign told the crowd, “I have worked with Sarah Martin in WAMM for many years and she is a close personal friend.” She also stated, “I have also worked with Tracy and Anh in the Iraq Peace Action Coalition and other coalitions to organize non-violent anti-war protests, rallies, protests at the Republican National Convention, educational events to speak out against sanctions, torture, pre-emptive war polices, the atrocities of wars and many other issues. They too are my friends and I am appalled that they are being subpoenaed to appear in front of a grand jury.”

Jess Sundin, one of the main organizers of the 30,000 person march on the Republican National Convention, stated, “If our friends choose not to testify, they could be imprisoned. It could be for months or even years, like in the case of Professor Abdelhaleem Ashqar, who faced the same prosecutor we face and who was investigated of violating the same law we are confronting. Before he was acquitted of the charges against him, Dr. Ashqar was sentenced to criminal contempt for refusing to testify before Fitzgerald’s grand jury in Chicago. The punitive sentence against him was more than 11 years. Again, he was acquitted of the crimes the grand jury was investigating.”

Sundin concluded, “This is a frightening tale, but it shows how very important our work is. We have to make it politically untenable for these three women to be imprisoned. Fitzgerald has political aspirations; he hopes to be the next head of the FBI. That’s a White House appointment, open next year. We’ve got to build a movement to stand behind Sarah, Anh and Tracy, a movement so big, broad and loud, that it cannot be ignored. A movement so strong, that Fitzgerald won’t do to them what he did to Dr. Ashqar.”

#MinneapolisMN #September24FBIRaids #grandJury #AnhPham #SarahMartin #TracyMolm #PatrickFitzgerald #AbdelhaleemAshqar

This is a continuation of a campaign of federal intimidation of anti-war, labor and international solidarity activists that started on September 24 with raids on homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago and FBI visits to activists in other cities.

During the September 24 raids, the FBI handed subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury to 14 activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. All of them submitted legal documents invoking their Fifth Amendment rights and did not appear before the Grand Jury.

Now, Tracy Molm, Anh Pham, and Sarah Martin are being told that they will have to appear in front of the Grand Jury.

“Saying these three activists should appear in front of a Grand Jury represents a dangerous escalation of the government interference and repression against the anti-war movement. This is a scare tactic to dampen the right to speak out against U.S. wars and interventions around the world,” said Jess Sundin of the Anti -War Committee.

“The FBI campaign against anti-war activists is a major threat to anyone who questions U.S. policies around the world. Many of those who had been targeted in these raids are long-time peace, labor and social justice activists,” said Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #FBI #September24FBIRaids #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #grandJury #AnhPham #SarahMartin #TracyMolm